Sand as substrate

[StampFan]

I find it interesting that scorpion keepers with desert species will regularly keep their scorps on pure sand, but if you posted in Tarantula Chat that a tarantula from the same geographic area as said scorpion is kept on sand folks would jump all over you.

Is there something particular about scorpions that make them more apt to walking and living on straight sand in captivity? I'm thinking mostly about American desert scorpions.

 

[NYAN]

This is a good question. My understanding is that tarantulas do not like sand because it shifts under their feet and prevents burrowing. I don’t know of any tarantulas that live in sand. Usually they will burrow in a rocky and clay like ground when they are in the desert.

Scorpions also will burrow in a rocky, clay dirt. They would certainly benefit from being able to burrow like tarantulas, which is why people mix clay into the substrate. They will also hide under things though.

I keep my scorpions mostly on a substrate mix of sand, gravel, small rocks and coco fiber. I have a couple Hottentotta still on mostly sand and my Centruroides are on mostly coco fiber at the moment. I will probably switch that at some point.

 

[SonsofArachne]

I keep most of my Saharan and SW Asian species on pure sand (fine, not playground) with cork bark pieces piled on top of each other. when I see them on the sand they have no trouble walking on it

 

[MARC NORMAN]

I have no experience with it but it could just be one of those "over protective" things people do for their pets.

 

[sschind]

biggest drawback to sand IMO is the weight. I have my desert hairy and flat rocks in large exoterra breeder boxes and they are heavy as heck. T's in the same cages with coco fiber are a piece of cake. For a few individuals its fine but for larger collections it could cause problems with shelving if its not sturdy enough.

 

[StampFan]

Are there any downsides to using sand for a scorpion, other than the obvious (a sand won't hold a burrow)?

 

[StampFan]

biggest drawback to sand IMO is the weight. I have my desert hairy and flat rocks in large exoterra breeder boxes and they are heavy as heck. T's in the same cages with coco fiber are a piece of cake. For a few individuals its fine but for larger collections it could cause problems with shelving if its not sturdy enough.

Yep, sand is heavy. I was going to use some for an arid reptile this week, and went with the crushed walnut shell stuff instead, its *much* lighter.

 

[Dry Desert]

Yep, sand is heavy. I was going to use some for an arid reptile this week, and went with the crushed walnut shell stuff instead, its *much* lighter.

Scorpions are kept on just sand in captivity for some strange reason. Mine aren't. NO scorpion lives on just sand in the wild, mainly because it couldn't burrow, even scorpions that live under scrapes do so amoungst plant roots given the choice if not amoungst rocks and stones in clay/ sand type areas so they can burrow to some degree to escape the sun's heat. I think the main scorpions that are kept on just sand are the venomous ones and this is done for the benefit of the keepers and not the scorpion.

 

[The Seraph]

I think the main scorpions that are kept on just sand are the venomous ones and this is done for the benefit of the keepers and not the scorpion.

I am so sorry for being that person but you do understand that all scorpions are venemous, right? Do you mean overtly venomous species?

 

[darkness975]

Yep, sand is heavy. I was going to use some for an arid reptile this week, and went with the crushed walnut shell stuff instead, its *much* lighter.

Do not use crushed walnut shell for invertebrates, though.

@The Seraph all scorpions are venomous, but most are not dangerous to humans.

@StampFan with some species it makes no difference. With others, such as Hadrurus , a mix of sand / excavator clay is best so that they can burrow.

 

[CritterKeeper21]

Scorpions are kept on just sand in captivity for some strange reason. Mine aren't. NO scorpion lives on just sand in the wild, mainly because it couldn't burrow, even scorpions that live under scrapes do so amoungst plant roots given the choice if not amoungst rocks and stones in clay/ sand type areas so they can burrow to some degree to escape the sun's heat. I think the main scorpions that are kept on just sand are the venomous ones and this is done for the benefit of the keepers and not the scorpion.

I keep Centruroides Sculpturatus. I have a few inches of cactus potting soil with pure sand over it. My species is not a burrowing species. They prefer to wedge themselves under rocks and logs so I give them a log and a pile of rocks. I have found though that they don't seem to like walking on the small rocks. I only keep the very small ones or quarantined in pure sand without rocks temporarily but I always give them some sort of hide.

 

[solomonspider]

hi idk if i’m in the wrong forum for this but i was thinking about getting a tarantula since i’ve had some basic experience with them back in the day while i needed to take care for them cuz of the animal education i did. now my problem is that spiderworld wont deliver to belgium in these wheater conditions but i wondered if there maybe are some belgium hobbyists on here that can sell or send me some slings, my preference goed to new world ones and maybe a nice arboryeal species, hopefully y’all can help me out

 

[kingofall]

hi idk if i’m in the wrong forum for this but i was thinking about getting a tarantula since i’ve had some basic experience with them back in the day while i needed to take care for them cuz of the animal education i did. now my problem is that spiderworld wont deliver to belgium in these wheater conditions but i wondered if there maybe are some belgium hobbyists on here that can sell or send me some slings, my preference goed to new world ones and maybe a nice arboryeal species, hopefully y’all can help me out

This is a scorpion forum but you can go over to the tarantula forum and i'm sure one of them could help you.